Latchkey Kids After School Safety Guide

One of the challenges of being a working parent is worrying about the safety of your kids after school.

The good news is there are affordable technology options to help you keep tabs on your kids after school why you are away.

One of our favorites is a smartphone app and service that will send you a text message right when your kids get home. In fact, it can be programmed to send you a text anytime the kids enter or exit a door. You’ll know when they are coming or going!

We also like using home security cameras to keep tabs on kids while parents are at work. Simply locate these attractive and affordable home security cameras in critical areas of your home. Then, using your smartphone, watch in real time what is happening!

This is an important and powerful security and safety tool.

You’ll be able to see your kids and watch what they are doing. And if you want, unobtrusive speakers can be installed in your home that enable you to talk to your kids using your smartphone.

Not only is this nice from a safety perspective, it’s good for parenting too. You can see if the kids are doing their homework or chores, or sitting around watching TV and eating junk food.

Certain features of home automation systems are useful to working parents.

A home automation feature we really like is remote door control. You can lock and unlock doors right from your smartphone.

If you know the kids get home from school at 3:30, simply set an alert and unlock the door at that time. Kids staying late for an after-school activity? No problem. Adjust the alert and open the door via your smartphone at the new time. This is also a useful feature for kids who have forgotten their house keys, or kids you don’t want to have house keys.

Home automation also allows you to prepare the home for your kids after-school arrival. Program lights to come on at a specific time and adjust the temperature to make your home comfortable for them.

Most smart homes are equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If either are detected, an alert can be sent to your smart phone and to our alarm monitoring center.

Another feature we like for latchkey safety are doorbell cameras. If the doorbell rings, both you and your kid from separate devices to check and see who is there. If it’s your kid’s friend, you or your child can open the door. If it’s a stranger or the dreaded door-to-door salesman, use your smartphone to “remotely” answer the door to tell them you are not interested.

Best of all – they’ll ever know your child is alone. An adult “answered” the door and dealt with the situation.

Technology is helping school kids stay safe. If you are interested in keeping your Columbus-area school age children safe and secure while you are at work, please fill out this form or call us at 614-771-4343.